ART. 25] NOTES ON HISPANIOLAN BIRDS — WETMORE AND LINCOLN 3 



that man had ever set foot, and which the imagination peopled with 

 any manner of strange and unusual birds. Both Macaya and Formon 

 are long ridges with little plateau area at the top, extending east and 

 west with steep pitches on the eastern faces. 



We left the mountain finally from the south face of Formon. From 

 Port a Piment a valley with many habitations leads up to a rolling 

 cultivated plateau, apparently the region designated on maps as Les 

 Platons, which offers easy access to the base of Formon and the rain 

 forest on the southwest face of the mountain. 



With knowledge gained from this reconnaissance, wdiich through 

 the intelligent cooperation of Sergeant Trevelyan was most complete, 

 w^e proceeded with arrangements for field work in the La Hotte 

 section, one of the major objectives of the expedition. 



On April 5 we left Port-au-Prince by automobile with S. W. Parish 

 and with H. W. Krieger, of the National Museum. We arrived that 

 afternoon at Aux Cayes, where we spent the night, and continued 

 next day by way of Camp Perrin to Post Avance, which marked the 

 end of construction passable for vehicular traffic on the proposed high- 

 way to Jeremie. From here Mr. Krieger returned, while we organized 

 a pack train with the assistance of Engineur Dejour, who had worked 

 in the La Hotte area, and whose services had been obtained through 

 the assistance of Commander Duncan, of the Travaux Publique. 

 Post Avance has an altitude of approximately 450 meters. The work 

 of arranging the packs was slow as usual, and it was 2 o'clock in the 

 afternoon before we were on our w^ay. Our route followed the line 

 established for the continuation of the motor road, going steadily 

 upward, with views of the sea and lie a Vache in the distance. At 

 Tombe Cheval w^e descended a steep and muddy pitch in a blinding 

 rain, and about 5 o'clock reached the summit of the ridge at Geffrard, 

 where we stopped for the night at a little native hut, the fog and rain 

 still continuing. We started to erect a tent but were given the use of 

 one room in a little dirt-floored house, where there was space for our 

 cots and where we were under shelter. Our camp was at 740 meters. 



The following morning we were out at dawn and, after the usual 

 difficulties besetting this type of travel, were under way a little after 

 9 o'clock. A slide had blocked the trail a short distance ahead, mak- 

 ing necessary a detour through a dense rain forest over steep trails, 

 deep in mud, where our animals slipped and plunged and we were at 

 times compelled to descend and walk for our own safety. In places 

 mudholes that we could not avoid were belly-deep on our mules. 

 The rain forest extended to Donte, the route leading through the edge 

 of the great expanse of forest that had been seen from the air. The 

 trail had been blocked at Donte to prevent passage, but we filled in 

 the cut and proceeded without other incident than considerable loud 

 talk. The slope beyond became steadily steeper until finally we had 



